Computer science is a lucrative field and is important to the global economy going forward. Technology managers, however, will also be in high demand as companies continue to press the need for innovation to remain competitive in this lighting-fast economic change environment.

If you’re interested in using information like this to negotiate salary more effectively, just fill out the form below and we can send you sample salary negotiation letters that help justify your raise request.

In the past couple days there have been a lot of articles written about salary negotiation. Why? Because of a recent study that says 38% of employers are more willing to negotiate salary with candidates. Last year’s number? 5%!

Time to Negotiate!

If that doesn’t tell you to get your negotiation plan together, then you need to wake up. It’s time to make it happen and make yourself more money. I know it can be scary, but isn’t it scarier to realize that you could have negotiated salary and didn’t? No new apartment, no new car, no additional date money to go to the best restaurant. The snowball gets larger and larger.

But Negotiate Wisely

You have to do it right. Don’t leave something so important up to chance. If you want to know how your employer can’t say no to your salary request, then check out our guide, Get Paid*.

If you would like FREE sample salary negotiation letters, just fill out the form below with the subject “38%” and we’ll send them right away.

Kohut says she immediately distrusts people whose resumes have no dates on them. “Gaps are not a problem,” she says. “The problem is when you try to be deceptive.”

David S. Williams, founder and CEO of salary consultancy SpringRaise, agrees, saying that if you are or have been unemployed, don’t try to hide it. “You may be doing yourself a disservice because you may be a strong candidate for a position, but you tried to hide your current status,” he says.

A better tactic is to be straightforward on your resume, and then use your cover letter to tell the story of your career’s progress — including information about how you maximized your time away from the 9-to-5 routine. And do remember to write a cover letter — not doing so is another guaranteed way to get your resume thrown into the trash, according to the experts.

Double digit pay raises are possible if you play your cards right–even in this economy. Performance matters and talent trumps everything. We can show you how to structure your thoughts to have that conversation by writing it in a mock letter first.

For FREE sample salary negotiation letters, just fill out the form below with the subject “Talk” and we’ll send them to you right away.

To orient you with the way salaries are evaluated by employers, here are the seven factors–and some would be considered discrimination. We hold nothing back here at SpringRaise.

1. Salary and Education. How educated you are matters in your salary.
2. Salary and Gender. Right or wrong, it has been documented that men often make more than women for the same job.
3. Salary and Weight. This would be considered discrimination by law, but your weight can influence how others perceive you and your value.
4. Salary and Years of Experience. How long you’ve been in the workforce and/or in your particular industry matters.
5. Salary Band. Where you are in your company’s salary band can influence your next raise amount.
6. Peer Salary. What your colleagues make can definitely influence how much you get paid. Knowing what they make is a big factor.

And last, but most importantly…
7. Salary Negotiation. How well you negotiate at performance reviews or for new jobs can make a major impact on your lifetime earnings.

We at SpringRaise want you to know the seven salary influence factors so that you can manipulate them to your advantage. Spend some time here and you’ll find a wealth of information that can help you make more money now and throughout your career.

For FREE sample salary negotiation letters, just fill out the form below with the subject “Seven” and we’ll send them to you right away.

Happy New Year everyone! As a major part of your total compensation, salary is the component that is what you get paid on your paycheck. There are many factors that influence your salary–some which are warranted, and others which may be a bit more controversial or subtle. At SpringRaise, we’re here to help you get the highest salary possible at every event throughout your career, whether it’s a raise, a promotion, changing jobs, or other opportunity to maximize your salary.

I’ve had many “springraises” throughout my career–raises in excess of 10% and even sometimes more than doubling my salary. Check out the chart below to see my career compensation development. After that, we’ll show you the seven factors that impact salary in your career.

Amazing! I can show you how to get these types of raises throughout your career.

The Seven Factors That Influence Your Salary

To orient you with the way salaries are evaluated by employers, here are the seven factors–and some would be considered discrimination. We hold nothing back here at SpringRaise.

1. Salary and Education. How educated you are matters in your salary.
2. Salary and Gender. Right or wrong, it has been documented that men often make more than women for the same job.
3. Salary and Weight. This would be considered discrimination by law, but your weight can influence how others perceive you and your value.
4. Salary and Years of Experience. How long you’ve been in the workforce and/or in your particular industry matters.
5. Salary Band. Where you are in your company’s salary band can influence your next raise amount.
6. Peer Salary. What your colleagues make can definitely influence how much you get paid. Knowing what they make is a big factor.

And last, but most importantly…
7. Salary Negotiation. How well you negotiate at performance reviews or for new jobs can make a major impact on your lifetime earnings.

We at SpringRaise want you to know the seven salary influence factors so that you can manipulate them to your advantage. Spend some time here and you’ll find a wealth of information that can help you make more money now and throughout your career.

For FREE sample salary negotiation letters, just fill out the form below with the subject “Salary” and we’ll send them to you right away.

You guessed it. Your salary and years of experience are also related. The more work experience you have (especially in your industry) the higher ascension your salary will take. Experience counts and companies are willing to pay for it.

Age and Experience

The older you get, the more money you make for the most part. When you hit 50, however, things start to change. You may be considered ‘expensive’ by the company you’ve been with for 25 years. Or you may realize that you’re working harder than you want to and want to switch careers. Things happen that can change your salary potential based on your work experience.

Salary Scenario Planning

It’s time for you to know those scenarios up front. Sure if you’re young, you have so many options, the world is open to you. But once you’re in your 40s and making serious money, then it’s time to start planning what to do after a while. We’re not being cynical as much as realistic. We all know people who have been forced into early retirement for financial reasons. It’s just good to stay on top of things.

If you’re young, it’s cool to see what others are doing with backgrounds like yours. What about people with a BS and and a JD? What types of jobs do they have and how much money have they made over time? Should I get my JD after engineering school? These are questions that can be answered through a few resources. Good luck! We’ll have some resources for you in the next few months. Stay tuned….

For FREE sample salary negotiation letters, just fill out the form below with the subject “Years” and we’ll send them to you right away.

If you wonder what percent you are in the Occupy Wall Street parlance, then check out the calculator from the WSJ below. You’ll get a picture of where you fit.

It’s probably safe to say we’d all like to be in the top 1% of salary someday–or at least live like it! So if you want FREE sample salary negotiation letters, just fill out the form below with the subject “FREE” and your “%” – e.g. FREE 88.

How can we measure our career success? What are our benchmarks? Obviously there are many ways to measure success, postulated here in a previous post. Each of us has to decide what success looks like, but if you want to understand if you’re on track to your career goal, how do you know?

Mentors can tell you if you’re on the right track because they have been there, done that. They’re ahead of you and can help navigate the right career path. “Fool’s gold” will find its way to you throughout your career–jobs that look good at the time, but ultimately aren’t what you’re looking for and lead you astray from your goal. Mentors help you identify those instances, thus getting you to your goals faster. Getting great mentors is the trick, however. No one said it was easy.

The second is even harder. When you know your peer compensation, you have a sense of whether you’re achieving the financial rewards of your work. Sure you can judge that by what car you drive or the size of your house–but taking the long term view, those items will equalize. Your career is about maximizing compensation for the work that leads you where you want to go. Compensation should ascend commensurate with your experience and value. When that isn’t happening, you should know. Our salary negotiation guide, Get Paid* can show you how to figure out what you’re worth.

Measuring your career success is more art than science and takes some diligence. However, knowing your status will help you achieve your career goals while maximizing your compensation along the way. Best of luck!

For free salary negotiation letters, just fill out the form below and we’ll send them to you right away.

OK, this is one of my secrets that I’m going to share with you. One thing everyone wants to know is how much of a jump in compensation should we get when we change jobs? There is a certain art to this, but there is a process that I use. My father told me when I was starting out that I shouldn’t change jobs unless the offer is 20% higher than my current compensation.

Salary Increase Benchmark
My father does deals for a living, so I’ve learned from a pretty good teacher about salary increases. In taking his lessons to heart, not accepting what someone tells me at face value, why take his word that 20% is enough? I didn’t. Over the course of my career, when I’ve changed jobs, my average increase in compensation is 30% and on average I’ve increased my salary 16% per year.

What people tend to forget when looking for their next career move is that the company we just interviewed with spent thousands of dollars just to get us in that chair. That’s an investment they’re not keen to lose when they find a candidate they covet. That knowledge immediately swings negotiations in our favor. Have confidence and get the salary you deserve!

For FREE sample salary negotiation letters, just fill out the form below with the subject “Max” and we’ll send them to you right away.